Pilates History

If we go down the history of Pilates, we come to know that it derived its name from the name of its founder Joseph H. Pilates. Before exploring the Pilates history we should first examine the Joseph Pilates history. Joseph Pilate was a German national, born in 1881. Experiencing a sickly childhood he developed a keen interest in physical fitness. He learned martial arts, yoga and Zem mediation and became an enthusiastic gymnast, boxer and diver. During the World War-I, he was in England and was taken as prisoner. During that particular period he started developing his own methodology of physical fitness.

Now going down through remarkable history of Joseph Pilates and history of Pilates, his struggle and hardships portrays his love and concept for the physical fitness. Joseph Pilates invented his exercises in 1920 but he gained exposure and popularity after he moved to the New York City in 1926. There he opened his studio in partnership with Clara, who became his life partner also. Where, he started teaching Pilates. History of Jose Pilates show that during the early part of his business he did not gain popularity but inspired fair amount of people who became his students and spread Pilates later. During earlier part, Joe used the Reformer for his clients. It is exercise equipment resembling the hospital beds in design. It had sliding and springs attached with adjustable tension Profession dancers and athletes were the early catching of the Pilates method.

A approaching the 1950’s he improved his method by devising the exercises which did not use machines. There were simply mat exercises which only required a mat. This surely was a turning point in the history of Pilates. From there, Pilates started gaining popularity and clients. By the early 1960s, Joe and Clara had many New York dancers as there clients.

Clara, Carola Trier and Bob Seed are the Joe’s students who share the Pilates history along with Joseph Pilates. Clara met Joe while emigrating to U.S and later became his wife, Trier had a dancing background, found who, fled from a Nazi holding camp in France. She opened his studio in 1950 with the assistance of Joseph Pilates. Bob Seed, a former hockey player may be called Pilates addict, he was very enthusiastic in his approach to the promotion of Pilates.

When Joe died in 1967, he left no will regarding Pilates. After then, many students of Joe and Clara opened their own Pilates parlors. Ron Fletcher, who was a dancer, studied Pilates in depth and opened his studio in Los Angeles in 1970 .This studio, brought many Hollywood stars to Pilates workouts. Ron became the next care taker of Pilates Joe and Clara the other two prominent students of Joe, who played great part in promotion of Pilates were Kathy Grant and Lolita San Miguel. Grant opened Bendel's studio in 1972, while San Miguel started teaching Pilates at Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico. They both are the only persons, who are Joe’s personally certified Pilates teachers.

Then comes the names the second generation Pilates teachers like, Eve Gentry, Bruce King, Mary Bowen and Robert Fitzgerald, Bruce King, Mary Bowen, they all opened their own studios to practice and teach Pilates and contributed a lot in promotion of Pilates as modern exercise pattern .

Pilates started becoming popular in Hollywood celebrities in 1970. Then as usual the activities of stars always get spotlight, the Pilates also came under spot light. Media took the Pilates to the masses. Consequently, Pilates was not only for the elite class but became a public fitness method.